How does this apply to Lent?

[ReflectHim]

*Matt 6:16-18

16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.*

During lent one is fasting, if I am understanding this correct. I’m sure there is more to it, and I will look that up. How does the catholic church interpret this scripture as pertaining to lent, or fasting.

I am NOT at all trying to start a debate or get in to an arguement. Sincerly I am asking. I had this question posed to my by a member of my family, who explained to me why people had ashes on their forehead last week. Excuse me if it comes of any other way.

 

[lovey2008]

I think Mt. 6 has to do with Lent because it mentions prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

I was wondering why we have ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday if we are not supposed to appear to be fasting. We know who’s fasting if we see the ashes.

 

[SueKrum]

the ashes are an outward sign of who we are and where we came from;
“remember man, you are dust and to dust you shall return” the ashes represent the dust that we came from. they are in the shape of a cross for obvious reasons. it’s not to let people know we are fasting. aside from the ashes, we should be smiling, wearing clean clothes and be clean otherwise. if someone asks us why we have ashes on our forhead, you don’t have to say, “oh, I’m fasting…bla bla bla” I say to them what I said above.

marking on the forhead is something that’s been done a lot. I think somewhere in ezekial, some of the people who are going into battle make some kind of a mark on their forhead. I could be wrong about which book that’s in.

anyway, we are to fast on fridays durning lent and we do not do anything to our forheads then. if someone is fasting and making a fuss over it and I know people who do, they are not doing it properly and I’m sorry if your family is getting that impression. it always seems like the peole who do things imporperly are the ones who get noticed.

anyway, i hope this helps a little.

 

[volzcpa]

Ashes are a sign of penitence which were used in the Old Testament and by early Christians, when they would wear sackcloth and ashes to denote their penitence. The ashes for Lent signify penitence in general, i.e. fasting, prayer and almsgiving. So ashes are not linked specifically to fasting, but to all works of penance.

 

[MariaG]

Biblically speaking, Lent is trying to be more Christlike. Just as Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness, we try to do the same.

Also, In Scripture, Jesus tells us that a day will come when we need to fast.

Matthew 9:15

15 And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.

As for the ashes themselves, some people wipe them off because they feel they need to keep it private, the fasting. Others wear them as a witness not to their fasting but to Christ.

Ask the Apologist says this:

Point out that both passages encourage fasting and repentance, and while Jesus warns not to “disfigure” the face, he does leave open the possibility of an anointing, which is basically a blessing. Receiving the blessed ashes does indeed mean that one is receiving a blessing.

(Both passages refers to Joel 2:12 -13 and Matt 6:16 -18. click on above link to view the complete answer)

You would be amazed by how many people don’t even know about lent at all. Not to mention their knowledge of Christ is abslutely minimal.

This last Ash Wednesday, I wore my ashes for awhile, and then wiped them off since I was going to be seeing some fundamental Christians who I knew would view the ashes negatively. With sick kids in the house, I just did not have the energy for apologetics.

But before I wiped them off, a woman saw them on my forehead. She said, you know you have dirt on your head? I then explained that no they were ashes, to remind me where I came from. As well as a declaration that I belong to Christ. I also explained that some people wipe them off and why. She was really surprised and intrigued.

Funny thing was, I saw about 6 people, all who saw my ashes, and I could tell they recognized exactly what they were. I believe that the ashes reminded them of what day it was, something they had forgotten about

I think I need to log off for the night. I don’t think that was a very clear post

Night all,
Maria

 

[didymus]

*Matt 6:16-18

16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.*

During lent one is fasting, if I am understanding this correct. I’m sure there is more to it, and I will look that up. How does the catholic church interpret this scripture as pertaining to lent, or fasting.

I am NOT at all trying to start a debate or get in to an arguement. Sincerly I am asking. I had this question posed to my by a member of my family, who explained to me why people had ashes on their forehead last week. Excuse me if it comes of any other way.

Years ago I went to a college chapel where, after Ash Wednesday Mass, people lined up at the font and Father wiped their ashes off, based exactly on the text you give.

It seemed odd but I rather liked the idea.

 

[rosarywarrior]

didymus:

Years ago I went to a college chapel where, after Ash Wednesday Mass, people lined up at the font and Father wiped their ashes off, based exactly on the text you give.

It seemed odd but I rather liked the idea.

Oh how sad! Why should we as Catholics be ashamed of any of our traditions or practices? Years ago when I was young it was not unusual to see many people at work, school, and stores wearing their ashes. Grocery store adds would also reflect this in their sales items such as tuna, and fish. Please people, don’t cringe, be evangelizers and plant seeds when asked about the smudge on your foreheads!

 

[geezerbob]

I’ve posted this several times already, but the question keeps coming up, so I’ll keep posting from one of my favorite OT books. Here, from Isaiah 58 is what God has to say about fasting:

58:4. Behold you fast for debates and strife, and strike with the fist wickedly. Do not fast as you have done until this day, to make your cry to be heard on high.

58:5. Is this such a fast as I have chosen: for a man to afflict his soul for a day? is this it, to wind his head about like a circle, and to spread sackcloth and ashes? wilt thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?

58:6. Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them that are broken go free, and break asunder every burden.

58:7. Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh.

58:8. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up.

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